During the eight years of his administration, the one political achievement that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has most enjoyed flaunting to the outside world is having improved Taiwan’s relationship with China, which Ma never fails to emphasize is a result of adhering to the so-called “1992 consensus.”
In reality, the side effects of this “consensus” have begun surfacing in front of the public eye one after the other. This includes Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) surprising reluctance to acknowledge the existence of the Republic of China (ROC), which is tantamount to renouncing national sovereignty.
Before leaving for Beijing to attend last week’s military parade, former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) said his visit was in accordance with the wishes of his fellow Taiwanese and would help improve reciprocity and respect between the two sides.As it happened, upon arriving in Beijing, Lien adjusted his view of history to suit that of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): Instead of the eight-year Second Sino-Japanese War, Lien talked about “14 years of blood, sweat and tears,” which is the CCP’s official interpretation of the conflict.
During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Lien, basing his remarks on the “1992 consensus,” said not only that the KMT and the CCP “jointly resisted” Japan, but also that “KMT forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) fought ... on the front lines and the CCP forces led by Mao Zedong (毛澤東) ... fought behind enemy lines.”
He ended his remarks by saying that “China recovered Taiwan.”
Lien has sided with Beijing’s “one China” policy and cast aside the KMT and Ma’s policy of “one China, each side with its own interpretation.” This shows the true meaning of the “1992 consensus”: There is only “one China” and there can be no other interpretation. When Lien confirmed that he would accept Beijing’s invitation, Ma sent him a furious message, yet publicly, Ma simply said that it was “inappropriate.”
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) issued a woolly statement calling on Lien to “uphold the three principles,” which was completely ineffective.
The response from the blue camp stands in stark contrast to the vehement criticism of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), which included calls for Lee to be expelled from the party because of an interview he gave in Japan.
The imbroglio over the military parade has revealed the pro-China faction within the KMT to be non-homogenous. In fact, the faction can be divided into two groups.
First, there is the rapid unification group, represented by Hung, which is bent on unification with China and clings to a false historical interpretation of Chinese history.
The Hung faction, dancing to Beijing’s tune, came up with the phrase “one China, same interpretation” and has even praised Lien’s trip to China. This group is not just thoroughly ignorant, but beyond redemption.
The second group within the pro-China faction is led by Lien and is comprised of facilitators for Taiwanese corporations. This group holds a monopoly over the dividends of cross-strait trade. Having become the representative of the CCP in Taiwan, it takes orders from Beijing.
The CCP’s gargantuan military parade had the effect of holding up a mirror to the KMT and revealed the true nature of the party: outwardly harmonious, inwardly divided.
Following Lien and Xi’s rewriting of history in Beijing, a life-and-death struggle is about to take place within the inner circles of the pan-blue camp.
Jack Wu is an adjunct professor at National Hsinchu University of Education.
Translated by Edward Jones
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